Sustainability Calendar

This National Science Foundation (NSF) funded program, hosted by the University of Notre Dame in collaboration with Cornell University and Princeton University, invites undergraduate and graduate students to the Kenyan drylands for a fully funded research experience. Based at the Mpala Research Centre, students will work closely with local pastoralist communities, combining academic expertise with local knowledge to address key challenges such as sustainable land use, climate adaptation, and social equity. Upcoming Deadline: January 15, 2026 Apply now

The 2026 Notre Dame Student Peace Conference committee seeks submissions for this year’s conference, New Game, New Peaces: Strategies for a Shifting Field. Submission Deadline: 11:59 pm on Monday, January 26, 2026 The Kroc Institute invites undergraduate and graduate students from all fields of study and practice to propose presentations that analyze changing “rules of the game” or discuss innovative solutions and vocabularies for building new norms of peace and justice.  Learn more by visiting the Kroc Institute's website.

During Walk the Walk Week 2026, the Notre Dame community will have the opportunity to help Unity Gardens create inviting community garden spaces by sorting bottle caps. The sorted caps will be used to create picnic benches (pictured, right) in their satellite gardens. This volunteer event is high impact with low physical intensity, intended for any students, faculty, and staff to participate in. This is a high need for the garden staff, so that they may dedicate more of their time this winter to preparing for the 2026 growing season! The Unity Gardens across Michiana are vital to supporting food security in local neighborhoods and cultivating community belonging. During the event, volunteers will hear from garden staff member, Randy Miller, to learn about the mission of Unity and their services, such as the Sprouts after-school children's program and their partnership with the South Bend re-entry program to hire formerly incarcerated individuals as interns for the garden programs.   Register to Volunteer

Notre Dame’s Just Transformations to Sustainability (JTS) Initiative is seeking driven, detail-oriented students passionate about translating sustainability research and education into transformative global action. Drawing inspiration from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’, the JTS Initiative advances a distinctive model of sustainability rooted in hope, justice, and connection. Through leading-edge research, holistic education, and equitable partnership, we catalyze transformative change grounded in the best available science and foundational ideas of integral ecology. Student interns will join a collaborative, dynamic, and fast-paced team to help coordinate campus activities and grow key programs. Student intern responsibilities will likely include, but are not limited to, the following:Supporting campus events: Collaborate with JTS staff to plan and implement on-campus events, such as lectures, information sessions, and larger convenings. Most notably, this work will include helping coordinate the Notre Dame Seminars on Sustainability, a signature lecture series organized by the Just Transformations to Sustainability Initiative that brings global sustainability leaders and world-class scholars to campus for knowledge sharing and engagement with the Notre Dame community.Supporting workshops and convenings: The Initiative intends to conduct multiple planning workshops with various stakeholder groups over the course of the Spring semester. Student interns will support various aspects of the planning and implementation of these events, including participant coordination and travel, event logistics, and reporting.Building organizational systems and resources: Work with Initiative leadership to develop organizational systems and resources necessary for a new and growing campus unit to operate effectively and efficiently. This work will include creating standard operating procedures, organizational documents, tracking systems, and office databases.Identifying, organizing, and synthesizing information on emerging priority topics: Supporting requests for information from Initiative leadership, including preparing memos, landscape summaries, and stakeholder maps, as needed.This is an in-person position. Minimum QualificationsHighly organized with the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneouslyExcellent communication and interpersonal skillsExceptional accuracy and attention to detailSelf-directed, with a willingness to take initiativePay $16 / hour Schedule Based on individual preference and availability, 4-8 hours per week for the duration of the 2026 Spring Semester To apply To apply, please submit this online application. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting on January 5, 2026, and will continue until the positions are filled. Please direct all inquiries to Brian Wanbaugh via email at bwanbaug@nd.edu. Apply Now

Apply to be a Sustainability in Action Fellow with the Just Transformations to Sustainability (JTS) Initiative! The JTS Initiative aims to cultivate and support a growing network of Notre Dame students dedicated to building a more just and sustainable world both during their time at Notre Dame and through their future careers. To advance this goal, JTS invites applications from undergraduate students across all disciplines who plan to engage in sustainability-focused research, service, or a professional internship during Summer 2026. Why become a Sustainability in Action Fellow? In addition to receiving financial support for their summer activities, Sustainability in Action Fellows will form a multidisciplinary community of sustainability-minded students who benefit from structured mentorship, networking, and peer-to-peer learning. In Fall 2026, the JTS Initiative’s inaugural Sustainability in Action Fall Symposium will provide a platform for Fellows to showcase their summer work to the Notre Dame community and build connections with students, faculty, and alumni. Selected fellows will have the opportunity to receive up to $5,000 to support their planned summer activities. Eligibility The Sustainability in Action Fellowship is open to all Notre Dame undergraduates who will be returning students in the Fall 2026 and plan to engage in sustainability-focused research, service, or a professional internship during Summer 2026. Applications are encouraged from undergraduates from all majors, colleges, and schools. Applicants must have already applied for or been accepted to a formal summer program, experience, or internship. For those who have applied but have not yet been accepted, acceptance into the Sustainability in Action Fellowship program will be contingent upon being accepted into the formal summer program, experience, or internship by March 17, 2026. Requirements In Spring 2026, Fellows will participate in an inaugural cohort meeting designed to enable fellows to meet each other, provide inputs on high-value mentoring, networking, and leadership opportunities, and help shape the objectives and structure for the Fall Symposium. Post-summer deliverables and requirements will include the following:Short blog post summarizing and reflecting on the summer experience (500 words);Fall Symposium Presentation draft, describing the summer experience’s key accomplishments, learnings, and opportunities for future work;Participation in the Fall Symposium;Participation in a Fall Debrief and Feedback session, designed to help the JTS Initiative strengthen and grow the Fellowship program.Application Instructions and Deadline Interested applicants should submit this online application by Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Please direct all inquiries to Brian Wanbaugh via email at bwanbaug@nd.edu. Apply now

Earth Month will begin on April 1. If you're planning an event that coincides with Earth Month, let us know! We can share and help promote your event. Submit your event here

The 2026 Notre Dame Student Peace Conference, sponsored by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the Keough School of Global Affairs, is taking place April 10-11, 2026.  All events will take place in person at the University of Notre Dame. This year’s conference will be free, but we do require pre-registration. Information about the call for submissions, keynote speaker, and session schedule will be announced very soon. Please check back frequently at the Kroc Institute's website for more details. The Notre Dame Student Peace Conference is an annual academic conference organized by peace studies undergraduates at the University of Notre Dame to make space for meaningful academic and professional dialogue on peacebuilding, justice, and conflict transformation.

The 2026 Notre Dame Student Peace Conference, sponsored by the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the Keough School of Global Affairs, is taking place April 10-11, 2026.  All events will take place in person at the University of Notre Dame. This year’s conference will be free, but we do require pre-registration. Information about the call for submissions, keynote speaker, and session schedule will be announced very soon. Please check back frequently at the Kroc Institute's website for more details. The Notre Dame Student Peace Conference is an annual academic conference organized by peace studies undergraduates at the University of Notre Dame to make space for meaningful academic and professional dialogue on peacebuilding, justice, and conflict transformation.